A common challenge that befalls many CIOs— regardless of the size of their respective organizations—is time, or lack thereof. CIOs and IT leadership are stressed for time, have numerous vendors and partnerships to manage, and must deal with everything from security to software to ordering internet and phone service. On average, IT leadership has to manage as many as 15 sales reps for everything from routers to internet circuits to data center, and those sales reps are constantly fighting for time and attention. Shamrock can help give that time back. Shamrock Consulting Group is a carrier neutral agent/broker that acts as a ‘one stop shop’ for anything telecom/cloud/data center related, helping to eliminate the time-draining process of managing multiple sales reps across multiple organizations.

Paul Cooney, an experienced veteran within the communications industry, founded Shamrock Consulting Group to help solve this widespread issue and provide a one-stop solution for communication-related services. “We like to think of ourselves as a firewall between the customer and all of the providers,” says Cooney. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, Shamrock offers consulting services designed to empower organizations with the most competitive possible pricing by conducting financial evaluations and inventory analyses of all telecommunications carriers on behalf of their clients.

Shamrock works with over 150 providers to ensure that each of their clients gets a network design tailored specifically to their needs, with best-in-class services at the lowest price. As a vendor neutral company, Shamrock begins every client engagement by interacting with IT leadership and finance in order to fully understand their specific requirements, budget and goals. Then, their team of experts assesses the carriers to find the most suitable solution provider(s) and negotiates contracts with the selected provider(s) to implement optimum communication solutions and services at the most aggressive possible rates.

Each industry has its own set of requirements, and sometimes there are rules and standards that dictate the design and solution.

The value of Shamrock is that we not only do all of the comparative research, pricing and analytics, but we help with the deployment and installation of any communication solution regardless of the provider

By catering their services to a wide range of industries, Shamrock gains vital insights pertaining to the specific requirements of their clients’ organizations, with attention placed on industry-specific rules and regulations. For example, Shamrock ensures that the technology partners they recommend for their healthcare clients all meet HIPAA compliance standards. Similarly, for retail and restaurant clients, they ensure that their recommended technology partners all follow strict PCI (Payment Card Industry) requirements. According to President and Founder Paul Cooney, “With a keen eye on the latest trends in communications technology, Shamrock’s neutral, research-driven approach allows companies to make the best decision by having as much industry data and comparative analytics as possible.”

Shamrock’s services are executed to perfection by their robust team of customer-centric professionals who openly engage with clients throughout the lifecycle of service. Shamrock’s team features a unique mix of experts in pre-sale engineering and design, project management and post sales implementation, and they are committed to providing reports which illustrate the savings their clients achieve over the duration of their partnership with a carrier. The team also crafts premium-quality Request for Proposals (RFPs) for clients through a careful, methodical, and equitable approach. Such assistance helps to formalize the bidding process in a fair and meritocratic approach, which helps clients not only convey a sense of professionalism but also fosters a competitive environment that encourages providers to bring their “A” game with the best design, pricing and terms. During the initial engagement, Shamrock typically achieves savings in the range of 30-60 percent when compared against the clients’ current spend.

Shamrock’s rich portfolio of solutions are all cutting edge, but it’s Shamrock’s neutral approach that provides value to their clients. “The solutions already exist, and it’s our job to help our clients discern the differences, pros and cons, and to help get the best deal out there. By approaching every project from the client point of view, we become an extension of their team and help cut through all of the flashy marketing material,” says Cooney.

From newer trends like SD-WAN, public and private cloud and UCaaS to older and simpler technologies such as analog lines and internet, Shamrock can and will help get the best deal possible. “I am proud of our team’s knowledge and expertise in newer technologies, and of course we have worked with traditional telecom deployments countless times—but we always take the same approach. We look at all of the top players, get the best design and pricing, then get the best agreement and terms, then we make sure that the deployment goes as smooth as possible,” Cooney adds further.

Shamrock’s success can be attributed to a variety of different factors, such as its expert professional teams as well as the leadership team’s impressive industry expertise. Going forward, Shamrock has major expansion plans to extend their services to a greater audience across the United States.